Section ASeveral centuries ago, when European people marveled at the fine pottery shipped

Section A

Several centuries ago, when European people marveled at the fine pottery shipped from a mysterious nation in the orient, they decided to give it a name.【76】The trader explained that the exquisite products were made in a town called " changnan", which people gradually began to pronounce as"china".

【77】Chinese ceramics were first created more than 2,000 years ago when Changnan was little more than a village. The township was not established until the early ninth century AD, when the Song Emperor Jingde named Changnan with his own royal name as a reward for the local people’s creativity and inspiration.【78】From then on, Changnan gradually fell into oblivion(遗忘) , but Jingdezhen, or Jingde Town, in the same place, is still the capital of ceramics(陶瓷).

【79】Traditional Jingdezhen china art can be categorized into four schools, with the most famous one being the " blue and white porcelain". Chinese families take pride in possessing Jingdezhen-made porcelain pieces, and they know how to distinguish good china from inferior china by referring to the unique features attributed to Jingdezhen ceramics only.

【80】In the face of challenges from Europe and the rest of Asia in the production of chinaware today, local minds advocate giving priority to artistic porcelain. Several new generations of masters have added many new types of china to their traditional legacy by diversifying into a large variety of wares, including pots, plates, sculpture, other decorations and screens.

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